COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER | AUGUST 2020
 

Increasing our community connections

We are here to empower you to be your best self. To be confident through chaos and to help you find the strength within to not only be empowered yourself, but to spread that feeling to others at the same time.

At Some Other Solutions, we are proud to be part of the Fort McMurray community. We are strong. We are connected. And we have proven time and time again that we will not be defeated when faced with overwhelming challenges. 2020 has demonstrated that ten fold.

It is because of people like you, Alberta Health Services, the United Way and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo that we are able to be there for those who are struggling and need help finding a solution.

Please enjoy the highlights below from the last few months and we look forward to sharing more regular updates from SOS as we move forward.

Take care,

Jason King
Executive Director
 

COVID and our mental health

In the last quarter, 30 per cent of calls to the Some Other Solutions crisis line were related to mental health. On top of that, we are seeing an increase in the demand for our mentoring program during COVID-19. Many youth have been mentored online throughout the pandemic by our team and there are requests coming in for virtual mentoring to continue into the school year.

Learn more about our mentorship programs.
 

Counselling:
the support you need

SOS facilitated more than 200 counselling sessions in the last few months, supporting our community members on everything from trauma and depression to relationship difficulties, anxiety and PTSD.

Working with a generous donor, we have been able to offer fee-for-service counselling on a sliding scale, from pro-bono counselling to a set hourly rate or paid through employer benefits.

Learn more.
 

Breaking the Silence on mental health

One in five people are affected with mental illness, which means we are all impacted. With that, we were proud to partner with the Edmonton Mental Health Foundation and CASA Foundation for Breaking the Silence, a virtual walk to spur on the conversation about mental illness.

Thanks to your incredible support of this event, we received $17,500 to support mental health in our community.

 

Resources

The SOS website has been redesigned to make it easy for you to find the information you need. From directly booking a counselling session, to downloading referral forms to programs such as the Heart of the Matter, everything you need can be found at someothersolutions.ca.

For downloadable resources and recommended reads, check out our resources page!
 

Welcome to SOS!

Janelle Watton (left) is a Community Outreach Worker who believes in the power of connection with youth in the community. She understands the importance of mentorship for youth as they seek to find their voice.

Community Outreach Worker Brandi Lewis (right) believes that every child deserves the opportunity to speak, to be heard and with the right amount of guidance and encouragement, they can become their own confident person!

Executive Assistant, Michelle Dunphy (left) has spent almost a decade working in the social profit sector. Supporting the Executive Director, Jason, and general SOS operations, Michelle will be keeping things running smoothly!
 

On the blog

Thu, Jun 11

A thank you to RMWB service providers in this time of crisis...

“In the days of COVID-19 when we are trapped inside; there exists a group so great they must be recognized.” A beautiful poem from Jay Telegdi.

Read More
 

Support SOS

We are here to work together as a community to empower and elevate individuals and families to deal with life’s challenges. Mental wellness affects each and every one of us. Your donation can directly impact the life of a neighbour, friend or loved one.